Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Treaties is considering a defence cooperation and status of visiting forces agreement with Timor-Leste.
It is designed to enable Australia to participate in more frequent and sophisticated bilateral military activities in areas such as maritime operations, military training, logistics support and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
Given that Australia has only ever signed such agreements with 12 other countries, it’s a sign of the importance placed on this relationship.
And defence is not alone in these efforts, with a range of other actors including the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Civil-Military Centre and non-government organisations (NGOs) working to build closer security ties.
A recent report by the Asia-Pacific Development, Diplomacy and Defence Dialogue (AP4D) outlines how Australia can apply all elements of statecraft to contribute to a secure and peaceful Timor-Leste.
Security cooperation takes place in the context of a complicated history of Australia-Timor-Leste relations. This includes the vital Timorese assistance during World War II, Australia’s tacit approval of Indonesia’s 1975 annexation and Australia’s leading of the United Nations International Force East Timor (INTERFET), which led to Timor-Leste’s transition to independence following a referendum in 1999.
Given this complex intertwining, Australia’s overall vision needs to be a partnership of mutuality, respect and shared leadership. Australia should ensure it follows security agendas set locally and regionally rather than being a paternalistic provider.
In line with this vision, there are many concrete ways that Australia is using different elements of statecraft to be an effective partner in supporting a secure and peaceful Timor-Leste.
In the defence realm, the Defence Cooperation Program with Timor-Leste focuses on developing capabilities in English language, maritime security, engineering, logistics, infantry skills, strategic policy, governance, finance and communications. This assistance is delivered by 24 in-country advisers. Methods of assistance include mentoring, infrastructure development, participation in Australian exercises and training and direct service-to-service training.
Training opportunities offered in Australia include those run by UNSW Canberra (Australian Defence Force Academy), Australian Defence College, Royal Military College Duntroon, and through the Defence Cooperation Scholarship Program. The program is also working to develop Timor-Leste’s capacity to contribute to UN peacekeeping operations, a desire expressed by Timorese wanting to give back to the international community after being a recipient nation.
A high priority for Timor-Leste is operationalising its maritime security capability. Timor-Leste accepted Australia’s offer to gift two new Austal-built Guardian class patrol boats under the Pacific Maritime Security Program. The boats will operate as sovereign assets of Timor-Leste, and will be packaged with long-term training, advisory, maintenance, infrastructure and other support.
This has already started with dedicated training for the Timor-Leste Defence Force and design work on infrastructure upgrades. There are other areas for expanding defence cooperation, for example on maritime piracy and expanding the patrol boats program over time.
Disaster risk reduction, preparedness and response is a priority issue for cooperation given that Timor-Leste is a disaster-prone country. Floods and landslides have in recent years impacted thousands of families.
In the humanitarian assistance and disaster response space, Australia supported Exercise Longreach last year to enhance the capability of Timor-Leste civilian, military and police organisations to respond to natural disasters experienced during the high-risk weather season. It was attended by a range of civilian, military and police organisations including the Australian Civil-Military Centre, Timor-Leste Civil Protection Agency, international organisations and NGOs.
This is in addition to the long-term work of the Australian Humanitarian Partnership, a 10-year partnership between the Australian government and Australian NGOs to save lives, alleviate suffering and enhance human dignity in the face of conflict, disasters and other humanitarian crises. It uses government resources to leverage NGO networks and expertise to deliver effective humanitarian assistance in disaster response.
On the policing side, the Australian Federal Police works in partnership with the Policia Nacional de Timor-Leste on a police development program to strengthen capacity and maintain law and order effectively and professionally with full respect for human rights. The program recently opened a new information communications technology centre after the previous one was severely damaged by flooding.
Gender equality was a big focus of the program last year, including a gender audit of the police service, a six-month leadership program for 28 female officers and training programs on sexual assault and child abuse investigations and trafficking in persons.
Australia has also demonstrated that it can be an ally in combatting gender-based violence and harmful practices through community programs. With funding from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, The Asia Foundation is delivering the Nabilan (Ending Violence Against Women) Program to support civil society organisations to provide shelter, safe houses, legal and counselling services to women and children experiencing violence. The program also delivers prevention programs in communities that address gender inequality as the cause of violence and provides key technical support to government partners.
This shows the range of ways Australia can contribute to security. This includes investments in civil society, media and other institutions critical to good governance, democratic norms and countering external influence, as well as drawing on peacebuilding and conflict mediation experience previously demonstrated in Timor-Leste.
Through programs like these, Australia and Timor-Leste are developing a common sense of threats to peace and security and support each other to anticipate, prevent and respond to a broad range of security threats and coercive influences.
As the joint standing committee reviews Australia’s defence cooperation agreement with Timor-Leste, it is worth remembering how important defence and security links remain across all elements of statecraft.
This article draws on AP4D’s report What does it look like for Australia to Shape a Shared Future with Timor-Leste funded by the Australian Civil-Military Centre. AP4D thanks all those involved in consultations.
